Hunter’s Kill – Extended Epilogue
Helena
The newest addition to the house was my birthday present from Henry. It’s a beautifully remodeled room with state-of-the-art soundproofing panels on the walls. It has windows overlooking the gardens, as well as a stunning baby grand piano at one end. On the other side of the room is a place to practice my cello.
I learned after moving in that Henry has been in piano lessons for most of his life. So having this room allows us to share our love of music and play together.
The room is decorated with flower accents and tall potted trees. It feels opulent but fresh. We have been spending more and more time in this room together lately, getting to know one another. Learning my real name was something of a shock to Henry. He said that he didn’t care what name he has to call me by so long as I’m still the same person on the inside.
I’m definitely working on it. My path to healing and self-discovery hasn’t been easy, but with Carolina as a constant companion these days, I’m making progress. She’s become a shoulder to cry on when I need it, as well as a mother figure. She’s full of unexpectedly useful advice, and I know I can trust her because Daniel does.
Daniel’s father died several months ago. He died peacefully in his sleep late at night, and Daniel has been busy with the family ever since. He’s been assuming the role that was designed for him, his legacy. I doubt he’d mind the pressure if he didn’t want to be here with us so badly.
Despite everything, Henry doesn’t seem to be any worse off for all of the changes that he’s had to endure.
He’s sitting at the piano but facing backward, and his hands are reached around to the keys behind him. He said he knows the piece well enough to play it this way, but I think he’s just desperate for a party trick. His jacket lays in a pile on the ground by his feet. Daniel would fuss about disrespecting his clothing in such a way, but we both know he’s only dressing so well to impress him anyway.
“It’s not going to work!” I laugh as Henry hits the wrong note for the fifth time in a row. He’s laughing too hard to be taking it seriously in the first place. Try as he might, it’s just not going to happen for him. “Couldn’t you try to play it upside down or just play the piece from end to beginning instead?”
“Nope!” Henry says and bangs futilely against the keyboard once again. “Eventually I’m going to get it! Just you see!”
I don’t know that my ears can take any more.
Not that I would ever say that to Henry. Normally, he plays so beautifully that we can meld our two pieces together in a harmony… but today he’s chosen to be silly. I busy myself with putting my cello back into its case now that I’ve finished polishing it. My fingers twinge a little from the hours of practice, but I’m well on my way to building my callouses back up.
“I suppose I should just play my cello like a violin, then,” I tease and place my hands firmly on my hips.
Henry doubles forward with laughter, and his arms wrap around himself.
“Your arms aren’t long enough! It would never work!” Henry giggles and shakes his head. He mimics the motion of extending his arms out well past his body in order to accomplish such an impossible task. “And the endpin would poke you right in the shoulder!”
“It works about as well as what you’re doing!” I laugh right back.
We’re so caught up in the lunacy of our conversation that neither one of us hears the door to the music room open. It’s such a small shift in the space. But I can feel him. I can always feel Daniel when he gets close enough. Something about his presence… or perhaps it’s just the fact that to this day I cannot seem to keep my hands to myself where it concerns my husband.
For a moment, I’m hurled back into a memory of the day we first saw one another at Henry’s school—of Daniel leaning against the open doorway, seemingly without a care in the world as he watched me. He’s standing the same way now, at least until Henry spots him.
“Daniel!” Henry shouts and runs across the room to throw himself into his arms. Daniel hugs him tightly, then ruffles his hair. Someday soon Henry is going to consider himself to be far too cool for such a gesture, so Daniel and I are trying to enjoy as much of his innocence as possible.
It’s another major reason Daniel has to be gone so much. He must divide his time between New York and here. We decided it was best if I stayed as far away from everything as possible until things settled down. In addition, he attempted to invite Henry back to New York, but he declined. He clarified that he was unwilling to abandon all of his friends. Personally, I believe a part of him just wants to be with me too.
Henry only calls me ‘mom’ when he’s not thinking about it too much. It’s not an issue I want to push. He can call me whatever he likes… but I can’t deny that I live for his slip-ups.
The life that he and I have settled into here in Daniel’s absence isn’t something that I ever thought I would have wanted. But now that I’m here and living it, it’s not something I would ever trade. It’s the sort of life that I thought I was going to get when I moved here with Abram. It’s quiet and simple. I’ll resume teaching in the fall at the school with Henry but for now… this is enough.
“You’re home early,” I say without moving any closer to him. Henry keeps an arm around Daniel, and their attention shifts over to me.
“I think I prefer Henry’s greeting,” Daniel winks. “You could try throwing yourself at me from time to time,” he teases.
“Maybe later,” I tease right back. “Are you just back for the night? I’m reining myself in until I know. If you’re just passing through…” I roll one shoulder like I’m not impressed by the prospect of only spending a night with him.
“Even if I was, you know I’d make it worth your while,” Daniel smiles easily. That’s something else that’s new now that he’s splitting his time. New York has been stressful and understandably so. Like me, he’s come to think of this hidden estate as a safe haven he gets to escape to—a little treasure chest where he gets to hide away the things most important to him.
He strolls into the room with his natural swagger and comes to stop in front of me. He places a hand on either side of my waist and widens his stance to where we’re almost looking eye to eye with one another.
“Hm, I don’t think that my wife is nearly happy enough to see me.” The glint I love so dearly has returned to his eyes. Automatically, I glance around him to Henry who isn’t paying us any attention whatsoever. He’s far too busy focusing on the bag that Daniel had dropped to the ground beside the door. No doubt the boy is looking for whatever present he has brought him.
“Tell me that you’re here to stay at least the weekend, and I will show you exactly how thrilled I am that you’ve come home.” I place my hands on top of his and hold them there. If he doesn’t realize by now that I will take just about any opportunity to be alone with him, he’s sorely mistaken. My mind shifts fondly to some other recent memories of this room… when we were testing just how soundproof it actually was.
Daniel groans reluctantly, and his head falls back for a moment. “That’s the most tempting thing I’ve heard all day…” He rights himself, pulling himself together as he pulls me closer into his arms until my chest is pressed softly against his. “But unfortunately, I have returned home with a bit of news that you may or may not like.”
“Oh? What a coincidence,” I muse softly, a carefully optimistic smile on my face.
“You have news too?”
I nod and press my lips together.
“Very well, you go first,” he concedes and lets me go while he glances over his shoulder. “Henry, the gift is in the back zipper. Help yourself.” He grins. “Not a lick of patience in that one.”
I’m actually glad that they are both here. There’s something that I’ve been certain of for a while now—but didn’t know how to tell Daniel. He wasn’t supposed to have been home for another couple of weeks, so I had assumed I would have some time to figure this all out. But perhaps it’s best to just rip off the Band-Aid.
“He’s a good kid,” Daniel muses and reaches for me once more.
“I’ve heard that sort of luck doesn’t come twice,” I start gently.
Daniel shakes his head. “I don’t know, I think it’s more than that. It’s how you grow up. No doubt a switch will flip one of these days, and he will turn into the stereotypical sullen teenager.” Daniel grins. “I’m almost looking forward to it.”
“I guess there’s going to be only one way to find out.” I smile as Daniel pulls me closer. I flatten my hands over his strong chest, and right before he’s about to kiss me I speak again. “I guess we’ll have to have one of our own to find out.”
Daniel pauses and backs up slightly. He’s reading my expression. His eyes can’t seem to settle on one eye or the other to determine whether or not I’m teasing him. “Is that something you want?”
I can’t fight my grin as it tears across my face. “I don’t think it matters now.”
Daniel takes a moment to understand and then looks down. He puts distance between us to peer at my flat stomach as if he can somehow see the baby forming inside of me.
“You’re…?” he whispers incredulously. His hands slide from my waist to my stomach and then back again.
I nod happily. “I am… I don’t know exactly how far along or anything but—”
“I can’t believe it!” Daniel says, and he smiles incredulously. I’m beyond happy that he’s taking this news so well. It’s going to make a lot of things more complicated for him in the future, having to raise such a small child and be so many places at once, but if any man can handle it, it’s him. I can already see the wheels turning in his brilliant mind making plans for all of the things he’s going to want and need for me.
Then something else seems to dawn on him that wipes the smile clear off of his face.
“What…? What’s wrong?” I ask nervously.
Daniel doesn’t answer for a long, heavy moment as my pulse starts to quicken. He can’t have changed his mind so quickly. What if he thinks that it’s too dangerous to keep it? I can’t do that. My mouth is going dry. I press my tongue against my teeth while the seconds drag on between us.
Daniel’s hand reverently sweeps over the fabric of my dress, smoothing it over my hips and finally flattening his hand over my stomach once more. “It’s happy news. It’s great news, I just… I guess it’s the timing of it all.”
I close both of my hands over his, holding them there. “What do you mean?”
“Henry, will you give us a moment?”
“Hm?” Henry looks up from the bag he’s elbow-deep searching in. He produces a small package wrapped in brown paper and twine string. Clearly, he’s oblivious to everything that we’ve been talking about until now. “Oh, sure,” he says distractedly as he starts to walk out of the room, leaving the door open in his wake. He truly is an easy child.
Alone with Daniel, the air feels heavier. Whatever he’s about to tell me is not going to be something I want to hear. He locks eyes with me and speaks slowly, like if he says the wrong thing I’m going to run or pass out.
“The reason I came home so suddenly was because I found a lead on where Volkovich is hiding your brother.”
Now I understand why. Nikolai is not an easy topic of conversation for us. No matter how much time has passed, I know that he’s still looking for me. I know that he’s still hunting me. Given the choice that Daniel had to make—whether it was me, or Alek—I knew that there was the possibility that something terrible was going to happen to him. I try to not think about it most days.
“Oh?” I ask, knowing that isn’t the bad part.
Daniel nods and presses his forehead to mine. “I have a plan that will help bring him back to us so that we can start to sort everything out. However, the plan is risky… I’ve spent the entire drive back home attempting to convince myself that I’m going to be okay with it, but now there is so much more to lose.”
I swallow hard against the dryness in my throat.
“From what my guys have gathered, he’s still doing well. But I think the only way that we will be able to get your brother back… is if we use you as bait.”
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A very good read
Thank you so much, dear Gwen! I truly appreciate it! ♥️
Is there a third=book ?
Thank you for your comment, dear Sherry. The third book is not out yet! ❤️
That’s real wicked of you ,leaving us there .
This comment made my day! I’m glad to see you enjoyed the book, dear May…For now, I’ll leave you on the edge of your seat 😈 ♥️
Wow I was almost disappointed because of the way the book ended. Looking forward to reading book three. Beautiful love!
Thank you so much for your comment, dear Patricia! Stay tuned…😈 ♥️
You are so mean to us. I’m on the edge of my seat waiting and hoping for a happy ending.
Hehehe, I never said I’d play nice 😉 But fear not, you’ll get the happy ending you hope for. I’m such a romantic at heart. I wouldn’t hurt my poor characters like that…Stay tuned! <3
P.S. I thank you so much for your support, dear Michelle!
An interesting story. The plot is so different from the books I usually read.
Thank you, Sylvia! I’m very happy you enjoyed it.
Brilliant story loved it
Thank you! ❤️